Android to Have iTunes Remote App

One of the best apps for the iPhone is Apple's iTunes Remote--it's a combination of usefulness, slick execution, and a 'it just works' feeling. So on Android, with its Android Market and loads of developers, would we have something similar? The answer is YES. Jeff Sharkley reversed engineered Apple's Remote App and developed the app for Android. Yeah, it looks and works wonderfully and yeah, this is on the Must Download List before Android even launches. Click the read link for a video tutorial.

TechFaith To Build Android Device Soon, Early 2009 ?

China's TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology just announced that they have finished developing a device prototype for Android. Though its unlikely to ship by the end of this year, early 2009 is looking like a fairly decent date to expect.

If you don't know TechFaith Wireless we don't blame you. They mainly serve as design company for more notable phone manufacturers such as Motorola, LG, etc. There isn't a specific manufacturer linked to this particular Android device so be on the lookout for any company to step forward with Android plans in Early 2009.

zzzPhone Building Android Devices?

zzzPhone is something of a joke to those familiar with them. They deliver cheap, shoddy phones from overseas to the US market and expect customers to be satisfied. So it isn't exactly buzzworthy that zzzPhone is building an Android Device because for one, their website is downright terrible and more importantly, it's not really guaranteed to work for you. You can't realistically expect to have an Android Device as full-featured as the G1 from zzzPhone.

They claim that they're going to start installing Android on their phones beginning this month and will be ready for shipments by the end of November. Yeah, we'll believe it when we see it.

Is HP Going to Make a Android Competitor?

TMCnet is spreading whispers that Hewlett-Packard may try their hand in creating a consumer oriented, touch-screen device complete with media player capabilities. Basically, a direct Android (and iPhone) competitor. HP currently builds the iPAQ Business Manager Series which looks a lot like a Motorola Q and if they were to enter the consumer market, they'll need a vastly different phone model serving completely different needs.

Our advice to HP? Don't pretend to be someone you're not. Stay away from media juggernauts like Apple and Google and you should be fine. If you want to make a consumer device, feel free to make an Android-specific one, it'll save you terrible software headaches. Just trust us. You're welcome.

T-Mobile to Offer Month-to-Month Plans?

TmoNews has it on good faith that T-Mobile will be announcing plans for month-to-month plans very, very soon. As in like today soon. We all know how horrible carriers are and how strict they've become in tying down their customers to 2-year contracts when purchasing a new phone, so if T-Mobile comes through and offers a month-to-month option, it'll be an absolute breath of fresh air.

Here are some of the details of T-Mobile's Month-to-Month Plan:

Postpaid monthly rate plans will be modeled after current postpaid rate plans including single line, FamilyTime, and myFaves. T-Mobile @Home rate plans will not be available this time.

Both new and existing customers can sign up for the new Postpaid No Annual Contracts rate plans. Existing customers who would like to switch to these new rate plans are still required to fulfill their terms of their existing contracts if applicable.

Annual contract agreements are not required for customers who sign up for these rate plans, but Activation Fees will still apply and customers will be required to pass credit checks and meet the same credit requirements as 1 year and 2 year postpaid customers.

T-Mobile will also not offer any handset discounts for new activations of these rate plans. However, dealers have complete discretion on the pricing they offer on handsets.

So is the freedom of having a cell phone sans contract worth the full unsubsidized cost of a phone? Perhaps, the T-Mobile G1?

How Maps Work on Android

Maps is going to be a big part of Android and the T-Mobile G1 has a lot of neat features that will allow it to be quite possibly the best GPS device on the market. The G1 combines a lot of technology and smart software into one slick package that'll deliver accurate real-life renderings.

The Maps program will be integrated with the phone and search, so when you find a location you want, you can't hit the call button immediately. Also, with GPS and My Location, Maps will always let you know where you are. But perhaps the most anticipated Maps feature is Street View with a built in compass. Because Street View gives you a 360 degree picture of your surroundings, a built-in compass controls the movement of Street View. It's essentially a looking glass into the world.

Do you believe that Maps on Android and the T-Mobile G1 will be the best GPS device on the market?

HTC Touch HD to be an Android Device?

Let's classify this as a very odd rumor. Just mere days since HTC announced that they were NOT bringing the Touch HD to the United States (much to the chagrin of our friends over at WMExperts), we have a rumor claiming that the HTC Touch HD will be an Android Device. Wait..Wha !?

The sources claim that T-Mobile is prepping the Touch HD to become the second Android Device (Via Android Community). The Touch HD is no joke, sporting a 3.8 inch 800x480 screen (you read that right), 5 megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, it's everything anyone ever wants in a phone and if it runs Android it'll be a complete game-changer.

So what do you guys think? Any faith in the rumor? Is the HTC Touch HD the best possible Android phone available?

More T-Mobile G1's In The Wild

So after Ryan Block told us he used the T-Mobile G1 for a day, we have word that more and more Google employees are also getting in on the action. CNET reporter Stephen Shankland caught a Google employee using his G1 out in the public, surfing the web.

We at AndroidCentral will continue to give you as many "real life" pictures as we can of the T-Mobile G1 because we can't contain our excitement until we have it in our hands. We think that these "real life"/in-the-wild type pictures give a more accurate representation of the T-Mobile G1. Luckily, the G1 can handle it because it looks good in these pictures. Real good.

Already ordered your T-Mobile G1? If you ordered before October 3, 2008 it will be delivered right to your door as early as October 22, 2008. Order yours before October 21, 2008, and it will be delivered as early as November 10, 2008.

So judging from those words, it looks like the cut-off date to get your T-Mobile G1 as early as October 22nd was October 3rd. So if you put in an order before that, you should be fine..if not, well, T-Mobile still has that G1 emulator up, right?

How Search Works in Android

Obviously, Android is going to be pretty big on search, I mean, it is a Google product after all. So how will search work on Android, specifically the T-Mobile G1? Pretty darn well. Search is easier on Android because it's implemented across the many applications of Android.

Can't Wait for the T-Mobile G1? Give the Emulator a Spin

Obviously, only a lucky few are getting their hands on the T-Mobile G1 a little bit early. Sadly, most of us aren't that lucky or well-connected. I mean October 22nd is so far off! Good thing that T-Mobile is spreading a lot of the love to us regular customers and offering an emulator for the T-Mobile G1. Though not everything is fully functional (the browser and street view come to mind) it still is a lot of fun to work through the G1 as if it was in your hands.

They also have a 360 degree view of the T-Mobile G1 for those who need to see all the virtual curves of this puppy. Overall, it performs rather well and if Android is truly like this, it'll sure to be a success. Go on and give the T-Mobile G1 a virtual test drive!

Ballmer on Android: It's Just Version One

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, is babbling his mouth again (Via Engadget). This time he's offering his personal opinions about Android and how it compares to Windows Mobile. Here's Ballmer:

"You've got to remember Android is version one....and it looks like version one," he said. "They've got one handset maker, we've got 55. They're available through one operator, we've got 175."

And though we won't argue that it's not true, we do think that if Windows Mobile brushes off Android, it will be in for a rude awakening. Windows Mobile, as solid as it is, desperately needs a facelift and version one of Android looks as good as anything on Windows Mobile 6.0 or what have you..

The screen is great and touch is responsive, no multi-touch kind of sucks.

Very snappy performance, Windows Mobile look out!

The browser is a distant 2nd to the iPhone's. Maps is ridiculously cool. Apps are good

He seems pretty smitten with the T-Mobile G1 and gives a sense that the G1 might become his daily driver. I think come October 22nd the T-Mobile G1 is going to surprise a lot of people and be a huge money maker for T-Mobile. October 22 where are you!

Andy Rubin on Android Market: Free Trial for Paid Apps

Android Market keeps looking better and better when compared heads-on with the iPhone's App Store. Android Market will accept everything and deny nothing while Apple's policy is confusing and kept in the dark. So when Andy Rubin announced that there will be a free trial for paid applications, many developers are beginning to become very, very interested in the Android platform.

Having a free trial for applications is good for both users and developers because users aren't locked into buying an application they might not use and developers are able to give users a taste of their work. Android Market will certainly receive a lot of attention from iPhone developers if they keep offering everything that developers want.

T-Mobile G1 Pre-Sale Update: Selling Like Hot Cakes

Wow. We definitely did not expect the T-Mobile G1 to be THIS popular. Gizmodo is reporting that the T-Mobile has sold all the G1 units. Even after T-Mobile tripled their production to accommodate for such demand. Obviously, we're still left in the dark without actual numbers, but tripling production is jaw-dropping and simply stunning. If you pre-order now, you probably won't be able to get the G1 on Oct. 22 and instead will have to wait for a later date. Either way, the G1 is on fire!

Here's the official word from T-Mobile:

Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our Oct. 22 launch date, and have sold through them all. However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery at a later date. Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning Oct. 22.

Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by the Android Open Source Project
and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 2.5 Attribution License. AndroidCentral is an independent site
that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.